Remus Buznea and Kyriaki Kyriakou (aka Remus & Kiki), a London based animation duo, have joined the roster of U.K.’s Blinkink. Their creative collaboration began in the humble beginnings of a student flat, creating the RTS award-winning short, and Vimeo staff pick, Dateless. The weird and wonderful 2d animations they create and illustrate have been seen around the world, winning Audience Choice at Animation Nights New York, among other honors. They have been able to create a variety of projects for commercial clients such as Adult Swim, Coachella, Warner Bros and TED…..
Global design and innovation agency YML (nee Y Media Labs) has brought on board Rajeev Bhanot as head of product and Erica Sayers as director of client engagement. Bhanot comes over from The Walt Disney Company in New York where he was sr. director of growth & product management for Disney+. Sayers had been at Huge Southeast where she was group engagement director on United Nations Women, U.S. Department of State, Capital One, Under Armour, Dell, and Dun & Bradstreet, among others. Redwood City, Calif.-based YML’s business spans strategy, design and engineering for digital products and experiences, and encompasses everything from websites and e-commerce platforms, to mobile apps and emerging tech (AI, machine learning, AR, VR). YML has spearheaded digital transformation initiatives for brands including Apple, The Home Depot, Facebook, State Farm, Universal Music Group and L’Oréal. In the midst of the pandemic, YML is having its best year ever, expanding its global staff with 75 new hires, 35 positions still open and an expected total staff count of 400 by the end of 2020…..
“Heretic” and “Maria” Set As Red Carpet Premieres At AFI Fest
The American Film Institute (AFI) has announced that Heretic, the psychological thriller starring Hugh Grant, and Maria, based on the life of opera singer Maria Callas starring Angelina Jolie, will round out the Red Carpet Premieres section at this year’s AFI Fest. The Heretic Gala Screening will take place on Thursday, October 24, and the Maria Gala Screening will be held on Saturday, October 26. The complete Red Carpet Premieres section includes the world premieres of Music By John Williams, Robert Zemeckis’ Here, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl and Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2. All Red Carpet Premieres will take place at the historic TCL Chinese Theatre. The full lineup for AFI Fest 2024 will be unveiled on October 1.
“At the heart of AFI Fest is an unwavering dedication to celebrating the best in global cinema--together,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI president and CEO. “We look forward to uniting artists and audiences once again to be inspired by the art form in a powerful sense of community.”
Heretic follows two young missionaries (Sophie Thatcher and Chloe East) who are forced to prove their faith when they knock on the wrong door and are greeted by a diabolical Mr. Reed (portrayed by Grant), becoming ensnared in his deadly game of cat-and-mouse. The film is directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods and produced by Stacey Sher, Beck, Woods, Julia Glausi and Jeanette Volturno. The film will be released nationwide by A24 on November 8.
Directed by Pablo Larraín, Maria presents a tumultuous and beautiful depiction of one of the world’s most renowned artists and reimagines the legendary soprano in her final days in Paris, as Callas (Jolie)... Read More